Hey makers!! This blog post is specifically for you! If you’ve been here for a bit, you know I was a vendor at my local farmer’s market three times this summer. I had a blast sharing my lettering work, and each time I learned something new and helpful. I wanted to share these tips with you in case you are about to embark on your first market appearance soon!

PAY ATTENTION & SAY HELLO
This seems like a no brainer, but I saw so many other vendors on their phones or reading a book while potential paying customers walked right by their table! I definitely noticed a difference in interest between when I said hello versus just smiling at the person walking by. I think that when you reach out and say hello it engages the person right away and makes them slow down a bit. It’s not guaranteed they’ll buy something, but at least they are taking a closer look.

KEEP YOUR PRICES EVEN
Most market-goers bring cash, because they assume vendors only take cash. This means you’re dealing with change! Keep your prices even, so you aren’t rifling through pennies and dimes, which takes a long time and can be frustrating if you can’t find or don’t have what you need.

INVITE YOUR FRIENDS, BUT SET BOUNDARIES
On the day of my first market, there were no less than 12 people there to support me, which was amazing and fun! BUT! I had to make it clear that I was there to reach out to new customers, not to talk to my friends for hours. If you have a squad taking up all the space in front of your table, it will be intimidating for others to make their way to your products, so set those boundaries. You can all talk when you go out for ice cream after!

BONUS TIP:
Have a sign up sheet for your email list on your table and tell anyone who is remotely interested in your product to add their name! Give them a good incentive: sale codes or freebies do the trick 🙂

Hopefully these pointers got you thinking about your market in the not-usual-market-tips kind of way! Good luck!